If you want carne asada you're gonna have to go down the street ... This new restaurant specializes in the cuisine of Michoacán, a central Mexican state known for its icy treats and mind-blowing carnitas.
The often overlooked regional style, which has been called the "soul food" of Mexico, has been a little hard to find in Tucson. Enter Carnitas La Yoca ... The southside food truck recently opened a brick and mortar in the former Maria's restaurant on South Sixth Avenue across the street from the VA Medical Center.
Lots of places serve carnitas, but Michoacán natives Rosa Lucatero and husband Ruben Verduzco take it to a whole new level. The small menu at Carnitas La Yoca features obscure cuts of pork like the stomach and the skin, which get fried for four hours in giant steel cauldrons until they come out soft and stewlike. Kitchen staff arrive at 3 a.m. each night to fry the pork, so it's ready when the restaurant opens at 8 a.m.
Even if you don't eat it for breakfast, the unusual "Cuero" is perfect for adventurous eaters who like to slurp their meat. After several hours of stewing in fat, the strips of skin become gelatinous and intensely savory, bursting with salty meat juices. They're actually rather palatable in taco form compared to the only other version I've tasted in Nogales, Sonora, but definitely not for the faint of heart.
The floppy squares of pig stomach lining called "Buche" look a little like something you'd give to your dog as a chew toy. But they're rather good, with a springy texture and soft chunks of meat clinging onto the sides. Throw on some pico and a drip of the brilliant chile Japon oil from the silver tub on your table. The heat builds slowly into a faint zing that cuts through all that fat.
I was lured in by the eccentricities, but Carnitas La Yoca also has hands-down, some of the best carnitas in Tucson. Shredded into little chunks, they're soft without being too soupy and have a nice fried crunch on the outside. You can get them by the pound with a plateful of tortillas, or like I did, in slender corn tortilla tacos for $1.50 apiece.
If you mostly want the carnitas but feel like branching out in a baby way, get the mixto taco. It's got everything!
Carnitas La Yoca at 3530 S. Sixth Ave. is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. CASH ONLY. More information at its Facebook page, facebook.com/carnitas-layoca
